All Blacks coach Steve Hansen is only giving his potential 2013 All Blacks squad one thing to think about in preparation for the season as the players begin their first wider training camp in Mount Maunganui today.

The All Blacks had their first training camp in Mount Maunganui today. Photos and video by Daniel Hines.

Steve and the 38-man squad arrived in the Bay of Plenty today for the first of two three-day training camps.

The two training camps will be held at Mount Maunganui with the first camp this Sunday to Tuesday and the second from Sunday May 26 - Tuesday May 28 ahead of the three tests against France in June.

With the players on the brink of the 2013 super rugby season Steve says the key is not to overload the players with too much information.

'We only give them one thing to think about because we know they've got to go back and play themselves. If we can give them an idea of how we want to play and they can get the guts of that then we can quietly jog through it rather than run around like mad chooks.

'As a coach what you want to do is coach. The key thing is not to overload them with information because it will get lost. We'll just go along quietly and use the next two camps to get ourselves in a situation when we do name the team we can come in and get straight into work.”

Steve says his first priority is to recover the players ahead of the first test match on June 9.

'But at the same time we have to get some work done ourselves and most of it will be cerebral, set up stuff, and concentrate at training probably only on one thing and that'll be about getting an understanding of how we want to play.

'We knew it worked last time because they all went back and played well.”

Chiefs squad members, Ben Afeaki, Sam Cane, Aaron Cruden, Tawera Kerr-Barlow, Liam Messam and Brodie Retallick have all been added to the training squad.

The six Chiefs players will be joined by eight Blues, nine Hurricanes and Crusaders for the first camp before the six Highlanders return for the second camp following their South African matches.

Steve says he is happy with the selection.

'We're very happy with who we've got. We're capable of bringing in whoever we want when we name the team on the 2nd of June. We've said that right from the word go. We haven't missed anyone yet.”

The choice to train in Mount Maunganui is Steve's plan to get the boys excited about the up and coming test matches.

'That's why we came here and again it's just a different venue it's not somewhere where we normally go so a different environment, mentally freshen people up and again help with getting them excited.”

Chiefs player Aaron Cruden says the boys are keen to begin recovery training.

'The boys are pretty keen to get into their recovery because it's short turn around and everything with super rugby so you've got to be on your game.”

'For guys like me I need to get in the gym and try and make some muscles. So it will be good for me to get in there.”

Despite having taken part in previous All Black training camps, Aaron says there is a lot more to learn.

'I'm sure there's going to be a lot more learning to do and (that's) something that I'm really excited about.

'There's going to be plenty of hard work done but a bit of fun along the way no doubt.

'You just enjoy the next couple of days. There's a few new faces and a lot of familiar faces so you just get around there and make sure you just have a bit of fun really over the next two days and absorb as much as you can.”

Crusaders player Dominic Bird is new to the training camps and says he is looking to leave the training camps with an understanding of the All Blacks game plan.

'(I want to) just have clarity in what the All Blacks are doing and a game plan and just have that clarity when I leave so I know what I'm up to.

'The next couple of weeks we don't have any days off but we've just got to deal with that. I mean you've got to take the opportunity where you can.

'I'll be doing my homework this week that's for sure.”

Players' form will be continually monitored up until the announcement of the final All Blacks squad on Sunday 2 June.

The All Blacks play France in three Tests: at Eden Park, Auckland on Saturday 9 June; AMI Stadium Addington, Christchurch, on Saturday 15 June; and Yarrow Stadium, New Plymouth, on Saturday 22 June.

Players attending the camps:

Blues

Frank Halai, Steven Luatua, Keven Mealamu, Charles Piutau, Rene Ranger, Francis Saili, Piri Weepu and Ali Williams.

Chiefs

Ben Afeaki, Sam Cane, Aaron Cruden, Tawera Kerr-Barlow, Liam Messam and Brodie Retallick.

Hurricanes

Beauden Barrett, Dane Coles, Ben Franks, TJ Perenara, Julian Savea, Brad Shields, Conrad Smith, Jeff Toomaga-Allen and Victor Vito.

Crusaders

Dominic Bird, Daniel Carter, Wyatt Crockett, Israel Dagg, Owen Franks, Kieran Read, Luke Romano, Tom Taylor and Samuel Whitelock.

Highlanders

Hosea Gear, Andrew Hore, Ma'a Nonu, Aaron Smith, Ben Smith and Tony Woodcock.